Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 on biblegateway.com
Verse 24He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; Verse 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. Verse 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. Verse 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' Verse 28He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' Verse 29But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Verse 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" Verse 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." Verse 37He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; Verse 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, Verse 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Verse 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. Verse 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, Verse 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Verse 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
Devotion
Jennifer’s on the student council. She sings in the youth choir at church, gets good grades, and smiles a lot.
Jason’s got a pierced lip and wears a lot of black. His iPod is permanently affixed to his ears, and when he slouches by you, you can hear music blasting away – thrash metal or gangster hip-hop.
Quick: Which one would you want in your youth group?
We make assumptions about what people are like based on what we see on the outside. We make assumptions about the homeless man with the “will work for food” sign; the Hispanic guy on the roofing crew down the street; the tattooed mom buying soda and cigarettes instead of milk and bananas. We think we can tell the difference between the wheat and the weeds or that we can spot the condition of someone’s heart, but we can’t. Who’s to say whether God is working in their lives or not?
Prayer
God, when I am quick to look with judgment on people around me, fill my heart with compassion. Remind me that you work in surprising ways, and help me to treat all people as valuable members of your kingdom. Amen.